NFA Gun Trusts for Massachusetts and Maine - Red Dog Legal

Looking for a gun trust lawyer in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire or Vermont?  Well, look no further! Gun owners in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont have come to rely on Red Dog Legal to help them create comprehensive and affordable NFA gun trusts.  In addition to Massachusetts gun trusts and Maine gun trusts, we also offer New Hampshire gun trusts and Vermont gun trusts with local co-counsel.  

Why You Should Work with Us to Create Your Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire or Vermont Gun Trust

As the market-leader in providing lawyer-drafted Maine gun trusts and Massachusetts gun trusts, Red Dog Legal has prepared hundreds of NFA trusts for our clients since 2014. We can provide valuable know-how that general estate planners lack. 

When working with us to create your gun trust, you'll get support from an experienced Maine and Massachusetts NFA lawyer.  This isn't possible when using a DIY gun trust service.  Furthermore, these cheap "do-it-your-self" gun trusts cannot be customized for your individual situation, nor do they address the specific legal requirements unique to ownership of firearms in Massachusetts.

Our low flat fee includes comprehensive services, including support with the ATF submission process (Form 1 or Form 4).  And unlike many of our competitors, our firearms trusts can be used for conventional firearms as well as NFA items!  This has estate planning benefits. There's simply no reason to draft a Maine or Massachusetts gun trust in a way that would prevent a settlor from contributing non-NFA guns to the trust – other than an opportunity to "up-sell" you on a more expensive trust. 

Our low flat fee includes legal guidance by an experienced Maine/Massachusetts NFA lawyer.  We will help you select the right terms for your NFA trust, draft a comprehensive suite of gun trust documents, provide guidance on signing and funding your gun trust, as well as the ATF application process.  We know that submitting your first NFA application can be intimidating (especially Form 1 for making an NFA item, such as an SBR), and that's why our flat fee includes legal guidance and support, not just documents.

Considering working with someone else?  Ask them how many gun trusts they've drafted.  Gun trusts are our specialty. Or maybe it’s about price?  Well, we'll match the price of any trust drafted by a licensed gun trust lawyer in Maine or Mass.

At Red Dog Legal, we can help you navigate ambiguities such as Form FA-10 reporting, the Massachusetts Assault Weapon's Ban or “AWB” and licensing matters. Simply put: Jeff Bussell at Red Dog Legal is your go-to Maine or Massachusetts gun trust lawyer.

Additional Resources

Scroll down for more information regarding gun trusts, including updates on the efile process for trusts and a helpful NFA trust FAQ.  We're also happy to help with amending gun trusts, assisting with the Form 5 submission process (if you've inherited an NFA firearm), and other unique situations.

Update: eForms is Back! Time for that SBR You’ve Wanted?

The ATF is once again accepting electronic "efile" Form 1 applications on their eForms platform.  Approvals for electronically filed Form 1 applications by gun trusts (for making SBRs and other NFA items) are now averaging around sixty days.  This means that firearms owners in Maine and Massachusetts can now get their NFA stamps much faster than in recent memory.  Please contact us with any questions about how to e-file your NFA application using your Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, or Mass gun trust!

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are a list of commonly asked questions. If you don't see your question or would like additional information.  Contact us!

What Information Do You Need from Me to Get Started on My Gun Trust? 

We've streamlined our process to make creating your gun trust as easy as possible.  While its usually best to start the engagement with a phone call to answer questions you may have and to get an overview of the process, some clients prefer to get started right away.  At minimum, we'll need the following information to draft your NFA trust:

• your full name;
• your physical address;
• a name for the trust;
• the name of a successor trustee; and
• the name of one or more beneficiaries.

I Don't Live in Maine or Massachusetts, Can You Help Me Create a Gun Trust?

Our NFA lawyer is licensed to practice law in Maine and Massachusetts only. However, our NFA gun trusts are suitable for use in all states. Generally speaking, gun trusts are focused on federal law.  Massachusetts is an important exception to this general rule!  If you don't live in Maine or Massachusetts, we may still be able to work with you to create your gun trust, so please contact us. We're happy to work with other lawyers too.

Are Your Maine and Massachusetts Gun Trusts 41F Compliant?

Yes, all of our NFA trusts are compliant with ATF Rule 41F.  Furthermore, only the settlors and actively serving trustees of our trusts are considered "responsible persons" under Rule 41F.

Who Can Be a Trustee of My Maine or Massachusetts Gun Trust?

For Maine gun trusts, New Hampshire gun trusts, and Vermont gun trusts, any person 18 or older and not a prohibited person can be a trustee. For Mass gun trusts, all actively serving trustees (excluding the successor trustee) must have their LTC. Note that this requirement only applies if the applicable trustee is a Massachusetts resident.

What if I Need to Amend My NFA Trust?

We provide forms for adding and removing trustees, adding property to your trust, documenting funding of your trust, and a written statement for responsible persons acquiring firearms (to be provided to FFLs when you purchase firearms on behalf of the trust).  By providing these forms to you, we provide you with the means to make some of the more common changes to your gun trust, without incurring additional expense. 

Other common changes to your trust, such as changing the governing law (when you move to a different state), changing the successor trustee or beneficiary, or removing a settlor/grantor, are best done by a lawyer.  If we drafted your gun trust, we can make most changes for a low price.  We're happy to review and amend trusts prepared by other lawyers or even DIY gun trusts, but be advised that these usually involve a little more review and sometimes substantial changes.  Therefore the price can be higher.  Contact us today to get a quote on amending your NFA trust.

Do Your NFA Trusts Use a Schedule of Assets or An Assignment Page?

Our trust uses an assignment page, which provides more privacy from the prying eyes at the ATF.  A schedule of assets requires you to provide a full list of firearms and accessories owned by the trust whenever you submit a Form 1 or Form 4 application to the ATF.

How Long Can My Maine or Massachusetts Gun Trust Continue?  Are Multigenerational NFA Trusts Possible?

A Maine NFA trust can go on forever (a perpetual trust).  A Massachusetts NFA trust can last for several generations. 

What NFA Items Are Legal/Can I Own in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont?

In Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire, all NFA items are legal (silencers/suppressors, SBRs, short barreled shotguns, machine guns, Destructive Devices, and AOWs). Hunting with a suppressor is now legal in Maine, subject to purchase of an additional permit.

My Primary Residence is in Massachusetts, but I have a Summer Home in New Hampshire, Vermont, or Maine.  Can I Legally Acquire NFA Items or Other Firearms While Visiting My Summer Home?

Yes!  If you have a second home in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont (or another state), you are in effect, a resident of two states.  This means that while visiting your second home, you may legally acquire firearms, including NFA items in that state.  However, you may not bring any firearms into Massachusetts unless they are legal for you to possess them there.

See Question 2 in the NOTICES, INSTRUCTIONS, AND DEFINITIONS Section of Form 4473:

If the transferee/buyer is a member of the Armed Forces on active duty, his/her State of residence is the State in which his/her permanent duty station is located. If the service member is acquiring a firearm in a State where his/her permanent duty station is located, but resides in a different State, the transferee/buyer must list both his/her permanent duty station address and his/her residence address in response to question 2. If the transferee/buyer has two States of residence, the transferee/ buyer should list his/her current residence address in response to question 2 (e.g., if the transferee/buyer is purchasing a firearm while staying at his/her weekend home in State X, he/she should list the address in State X in response to question 2).

Do you support Gun Rights Organizations?

Absolutely! We actively support the GOAL, Commonwealth 2A, Gun Owners of Maine, and the NRA – both financially as well as with pro bono legal services.

What's the Difference Between a Gun Trust, an NFA Trust, and an NFA Gun Trust?

In general, there are no differences and we use these terms interchangeably. Keep in mind, however, that some online DIY gun trust providers or gun trust lawyers in Maine, Massachusetts, and elsewhere provide gun trusts that are only designed to own NFA items.

Do you have other questions about creating a Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, or New Hampshire gun trust? Red Dog Legal offers FREE consultations. For more information, please call Red Dog Legal at (207) 206-0287, send us an email or use our Contact Form.